A Slow Burning Fire Read online

  Bryce followed her into the kitchen as soon as he got the laundry going and sat down at the table. She fixed him a plate of slow-cooked barbecued ribs and mashed potatoes. Then she took a seat across from him and didn't say a word. It took him a moment to realize she was waiting for him to begin.

  “Seven years ago, my mom died from cancer,” he said. And then he told her everything: his family, his relationship with Katie, and, of course, Arial.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Upstairs in the attic, Arial played her guitar, venting all of her feelings into her music. The words weren't coming to mind, but the tune was vivid. Creating music was her therapy. The vast majority of her songs unleashed her insecurities about not being good enough to those she cared for most, or getting caught up in the fluster of the Los Angeles way of life. Hopefully, some of those songs would make it onto her album. She wanted the world to see just how hard she tried to maintain her integrity. She wanted her family to see it, too.

  A couple of songs she’d written about her past relationships as well, and there was a song or two about Bryce. One of which she should have been working on then and putting the final touches on, but her mind couldn't focus on finalizing their duet for the talent show. Too much anger was rushing through her veins.

  How could Katie do such a thing to him? That was assuming the rumor of her cheating on him was true, of course, but Arial wasn't blind. She'd seen the flirtatious texts Katie would send to the hunky co-stars from her films. Even if it had started as innocent fun, that kind of behavior almost always led to a downward spiral, ending in an affair. The two young women had been friends once upon a time. All three of them had been close back in the day.

  When Arial was a teenager, she’d admired Katie so much. The closer they’d become, the more Arial had realized Katie's actions were more selfish than moral. She’d enjoyed Katie's company and had shared a few secrets with her even, but the young woman had become the kind of Hollywood gal Arial did not want to be. Katie was a prime example of all the stereotypes. Still, the two had gotten along well enough. Arial had plenty of friends who didn't live the kind of life she would choose. In a lot of ways, Katie's betrayal of Bryce felt like a betrayal of Arial as well. She was angry for him. He deserved so much better.

  “I could rip out all of her hair,” Arial sang while she played her guitar.

  A soft cough brought Arial out of her creative zone. She had to suppress a groan. In the doorway of her attic hideaway was Caroline. Of all the people who had to come up and check on her, it had to be the sister who hated her guts.

  “What is with all of the angry strummin'?” Caroline asked. “I listened to it all last night and now all day again today.”

  “Just working on a song,” Arial said and put her guitar down next to her.

  “It's kind of loud.”

  Arial’s jaw tightened briefly. “I'll try to be more aware of my volume, then.”

  Caroline didn't move from her spot. Arial could feel a lecture coming. Her sister folded her arms in front of her. “I heard you are going to be singing in the talent show next week with Bryce.”

  “Mom tell you?”

  “No, I saw it on a poster outside. On several posters, actually. Billy said Kevin's daddy, Mr. Brewster, got a call from Bryce himself, askin' if it was okay to be a special guest. You remember Kevin's family owns the music shop, right? The one you two seem to visit regularly every time you're in town.” Caroline's eyebrow rose.

  Arial couldn't hold her tongue any longer. “You say that like it's a bad thing. We go there a lot because Bryce is a music geek, and he's finding a lot of stuff he enjoys. It was his idea anyway to sing in the talent show. I didn't realize it would be all over town already. We only just decided to do this yesterday.”

  “Oh, you better believe it's all over town by now. As soon as he got the call, Mr. Brewster printed off brand new posters and hung them up everywhere. He even called the news.”

  “If this is the part where you get mad at me for attracting unwanted attention to the town by my selfishness, please, hold your breath.” Arial picked up her guitar again and lightly picked at the strings.

  Her sister scoffed, and Arial was certain Caroline would walk away. She wanted her to leave so she could return to her songwriting. There was a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it. Bryce had called her early in the morning, saying he wanted to come over and start working on their act later in the afternoon. She needed to have some options ready for his arrival so they could decide if they even wanted to use one of her original tunes or find something easy to cover. The fewer distractions she had until he arrived, the better.

  Instead of exiting the room in a huff like Arial expected, Caroline sat down in a nearby chair. “I thought you wanted to get away from it all. Wasn't that the whole point of comin' out here? To be on your own for a little bit? That's what Mama said.”

  “Mama exaggerates the truth,” Arial mumbled. She strummed lightly, needing something to do with her hands that wouldn't involve strangling members of her family. Why couldn't her mother stop fueling the fire?

  “See, that's what I thought. Because you wouldn't come back here on your own free will anyway.” Caroline glared.

  Arial met her sister's glare with one of her own. “I’m not a child. I do as I please, so don't think I didn't choose to be here. If I wanted to, I could easily have found something else to do with my summer. Coming home wasn't so I could get away from it all, it was so I could spend more time with you. You guys are the most important people in my life. Why is it so hard to believe that I want to see you all?”

  Her sister shrugged and turned her gaze to her hands in front of her. “Why would you want to? Things are so much more glamorous and interestin' out West. The big city, free concerts, and whatever other perks you get for being famous. This place must be a bore to someone like you.”

  “It's slower, yes, but I don't mind that as long as…”

  “As long as… what?”

  Arial sighed. “As long as I feel comfortable.”

  “You don't feel comfortable here?”

  “Most of the time I do.” Arial focused her gaze on her guitar, her fingers touching and admiring the smooth wood. “But I can tell you don't like me much, and that just makes things awkward. I'd rather not have to fake my feelings in front of everyone.”

  Caroline's gaze softened. “I don't hate you.”

  “I didn't use the word hate, I said 'don't like me much',” she pointed out. “And I understand why. We're both from different worlds, and we're interested in different things. Our goals are slightly different as well. I just wish you could respect that.”

  “Arial, I've always respected you and what you want,” Caroline said gently. “I just hate that it keeps you so far away. That it's kept everyone so far away. When we lived in L.A. with you, it was scary. I might as well have been on another planet or something. It might have been fun for a visit, but spendin' months there wasn't easy. I wanted to be at home with the fresh air and my horses. Yeah, you've done a lot for the family and helpin' us keep the farm, but sometimes I wish you hadn't taken the gig to be on the television show. It sucked up all of your life.”

  There was no denying it, because it was true. Three Wishes had taken up so much more of Arial's life than she had imagined. Between hours of filming, tutoring while she was still in school, and then promotions, by the time she had free time to spend she didn't want to do much of anything beyond sleep. Even then, when she had time off, it still helped for her to be seen by the public, or else she might be forgotten. Her hiding away for the summer could already be impacting her career, but she had to put her foot down somewhere. She had nothing else to do to keep her away anymore.

  Arial grasped her sister's hand. “I know. Sometimes pursuing dreams takes up so much more of ourselves than we realize. It's a lot of work. As much as I want to say I wish I could change how things happened, I don't regret doing the show. The people I've met, the places I've been, the way I'
ve grown has made it such a worthwhile experience. I only wish so many people didn't have to be hurt for it to happen. Have you ever wanted something so badly you'd give anything to have it?”

  “That's how I feel about Billy,” Caroline said, her cheeks flushing. “Daddy says I'm obsessed with him, but I love him so much. We're going to be married as soon as we're both done with school. We've been together for three years, and we have everythin' figured out on how we're going to take care of ourselves. Daddy thinks I'm settling, but he doesn't understand that this is where I want to be. Nobody does.”

  “I do,” Arial said. “As long as you're not holding back on what you want for this guy, I'll support you one hundred percent. You deserve to be happy, too. If being here is that for you, then live it. Not everyone has crazy dreams like me, but they're still just as big and important, right?”

  Caroline smiled, and Arial wanted to freeze the moment. It'd been such a long time since she'd been able to make her sister smile. “Thank you. Now tell me, what's got you in such a hizzy that you're beatin' on your poor guitar?”

  With a laugh, Arial set it aside. “I wasn't beating on it, but I guess you could say I'm frustrated. No, not frustrated, mad. Furious, even, and I thought this might help. It's not, and I really should be working on my other song, but my emotions aren't in the right place to do so.”

  “What's going on?”

  “Bryce's ex keeps hurting him, and it makes me so mad to see her do it. He should be nothing but happy. I hate how she has such a hold on his emotions, his life, that one thing happens and he…” She shook her head.

  “He…?” Caroline pressed.

  Arial swallowed. “He forgets about me.”

  Her sister chuckled. “I doubt that, especially if he called you today to spend time together. Most lovesick people I know hide away for days on end after their ex hurts them. That's the sign of not being ready to move on. He's seeking you out. He wants to be with you. I think that's a pretty good sign.” She winked.

  Now it was Arial's turn for her cheeks to flush. “We'll just have to see what he's like when he comes over.”

  “Stop lettin' your fear hold you back. When I watch you with him, it's like you're both already together, but neither does anything about it.”

  “I was going to…”

  “Well, stop bein' such a chicken! California has turned you into a softie.”

  Arial rolled her eyes. The doorbell rang and her stomach flipped. “He's here. I'm not ready.”

  “To sing, or to tell him how you really feel?” Caroline asked, standing.

  She stood as well. “Both.” Grabbing her music sheets, she shoved them into her folder before putting them at the bottom of her guitar case. Once her guitar was put away and the clasps tightened on the case, she hoisted it over her shoulder. She offered her sister a smile, waving for her to go first out the door. They both went downstairs, and sure enough, Bryce was waiting in the kitchen. Her mother was busy entertaining him at the table, something that could take hours if Arial didn't rescue him soon.

  Caroline gave her a nudge in the side and crossed the room to the back door. “I'm heading out. Y'all have a good practice.”

  “Thanks,” Arial muttered. “Mama, can I have him now? We have a lot of work to do.”

  “Sure thing, honey.” Her mother winked. “I'll make you both a nice snack for when you're done.”

  I'm not five. Arial wanted to protest but held it back. If a snack would keep her mother from interrupting them, then she could make one. They needed as much privacy as possible, if she was ever going to regain her courage.

  ****

  Bryce rose from the table, eager to see Arial and her guitar. He'd always admired her musical talents. Singing was one of his, but writing music, being his own unique artist, was not in his skill set.

  “I can't wait to see what you've come up with,” he said. “The fact that you could write something overnight for us is incredible.”

  She laughed that beautiful laugh of hers and pulled a loose strand of dark hair away from her face. “Then I shouldn't tell you that I've been working on this one all summer. I'd hate to destroy your amazing impression of me.”

  “Either way, you're pretty awesome.”

  A soft blush spread across her cheeks. “I only tweaked something I've had going for awhile. It wasn't too hard to alter, actually.”

  He grabbed her chin, forcing her to look into his eyes. “Don't be so hard on yourself. Let me listen.”

  She waved for him to follow her into the living room where she began to set up her guitar. “Can you grab the sheet music, please? It's in the case.”

  Nodding, he grabbed the small pile of papers and handed it to her. Arial took a seat on the couch and motioned for him to sit next to her.

  “It's rough,” she added.

  “Just play the song,” he said.

  Whenever Arial performed music of any kind, Bryce always found himself going into a trance. Her voice was rich and soulful, passionate and connected to whatever it was she sang. With her own music, on the rare chances he'd gotten to hear it, the experience was amplified. Soon he was lost in the words of a love story about two people and their slow burning love. It could be our story. Perhaps it is. Does she know? Is this her way of saying she feels the same way?

  ****

  Arial poured herself into the song, letting out every emotion concealed inside. Her love, anger, and fear no longer consumed her. Having the release at last was a beautiful freedom she'd been aching for, something she’d needed for a long time. When the last notes were played, she let the sound resonate in the room for a moment before setting the guitar aside and risking a glance at him. His eyes were closed and he was smiling, so that had to be a good sign.

  “Does it make the cut?” she asked. “Good enough to be a duet?”

  “Definitely. Let me look over the notes and see if I can find some ways to harmonize. We can also change the key to some of the verses so it's more in my range. I really like it, Arial. You need to make sure this is on your album pitch. It's so… raw, honest, real.”

  Because it's about you. About us. “I'll keep that in mind.” She handed him the sheet music to see what he could do or add to the song. Together, they could make the music even stronger. She was just glad he didn't hate it or turn his back on her. He had to know what it was about. Bryce was smart, too smart to be an actor even. There was no way he wouldn't figure it all out.

  ****

  Bryce chewed on his lower lip as he tried to find the right words to use to make his move. The timing was perfect. All he needed now was the courage. He glanced at her, their faces so close to each other. If he moved an inch closer to her, he'd be able to kiss her with ease — and he wanted to, desperately. To really kiss her, to claim her mouth with his own, and know what her love felt like without the pretending.

  “I know I bailed on dinner last night. I meant it when I said that I wanted to reschedule for today,” he said softly.

  She briefly met his gaze with her own. “My parents made me promise to eat with them.”

  “Right,” he mumbled. “What about another night? We only have a few more weeks here together. I'd like to have a moment for just the two of us.”

  “We're spending time together now,” she said, raising her eyebrow.

  Had he been reading her signals wrong? Was the song about another guy? Bryce shifted his weight where he sat, confidence fading. “I meant in a dinner kind of way. Because I like dinner, and I know you do, too. It'd be a good chance to talk and stuff.”

  Why couldn't he be smoother? When he was nervous, he always clammed up. This is embarrassing and lame. He slowly stood up. “I'm going to run to the bathroom. Then maybe we can give the song another run-through and make some plans?”

  “Okay,” she said with a smile and a nod.

  ****

  Arial watched Bryce leave and mentally kicked herself. Why didn't she just say yes? He was practically asking her out, and she got cold fee
t. Caroline is right, I am a chicken. What am I so afraid of? Her. I'm afraid of Katie. I'm afraid he still loves her and I'll never be able to compete. She's so much more sexy and sultry than I am. Her lament didn't last long, however, because her phone started to buzz in her jeans pocket.

  Groaning, she checked the caller ID. “Marcus Markae?” Why was he calling her? Frowning, she answered. “Hello?”

  “Hey, you,” Marcus's smooth voice purred from the other end.

  “What can I do for you?” she asked, getting straight to business.

  The two had worked on a small television movie almost a year ago. He was a nice enough guy, only a year older than she, and had the charming good looks of any boy next door. Behind that head of perfect blond hair and those steamy blue eyes, however, was a guy who also knew how to get himself into trouble — not to mention the beds of most of her peers. They'd exchanged phone numbers out of convenience. She'd forgotten she'd even had it until he called.

  Marcus laughed. “You can come to my party next weekend. Saturday night, at the Ice House. We're going to have an awesome time. Everyone is going to be there, and you're a part of everyone, so you need to be around too. It's been so long since we last talked. What's the harm in reconnecting a little? I've always thought you were cool.”

  Going back to California was a tempting offer. The longer she was away, the more she was afraid she'd forget all about it, or it would forget all about her. Already, things about the city were starting to feel like a distant memory. The talent show was on Friday night, however, and she did make a promise to her parents to stay for as much of the summer as possible. Besides, Marcus is kind of shady. A nice guy, but I just don't know if I trust him. I'm pretty sure he doesn't just want to reconnect.

  “Unfortunately, I have plans.”

  “Cancel.”

  “I'll think about it,” she said. “If not, I'm sure there will be other opportunities to reconnect.”

  “I'm sure,” he said. She could imagine him smirking as he said it.